worshipt as a deity. Here she bore (Hinc genitus esse creditur, v. 1), to Jupiter a son, Epăphus, who along with his mother obtained in Egypt divine worship. The neighbouring country of Ethiopia was ruled by king Merops. His consort Clyměnê, the daughter of Oceanus, had also borne to the sun-god a son, named Phaethon, whose pride was on one occasion wounded in a conversation with Epăphus, in which the latter uttered a doubt as to Phaethon's being really sprung from a god. Phaethon went himself to his father the sun-god, and, complaining to him of the insult, desired of him a token of his divine origin. The sun-god promised to grant him whatever he chose to ask, and swore to this promise by the rivers of the under-world (testis adesto Dis juranda palus, v. 78); a form of oath which was inviolable. Phaethon then asked permission to drive for a single day the sun-car through the sky instead of his father. This was too arduous a task for the mortal youth, but, in spite of all his father's warnings to the contrary, he persisted in his request. The god with reluctance concedes him the car, but the immortal steeds, instantly missing their immortal driver, quit their accustomed track; and Phaethon, bewildered, is unable to guide the reins. The steeds then approach too near to the earth, whose rivers and fountains are dried up by its scorching flames. The conflagration of the earth threatens danger even to Heaven itself, so that Jupiter with his lightning dashes down the imbecile charioteer. Towards the quarter of the setting sun, in the western part of the globe, Phaethon falls into the fabulous stream Eridanus. His sisters, the Heliades, who with his mother long bemoan him, are at last changed into poplars, and the tears which even in this form they still shed for him, harden into the solid amber which was found on the banks of the Eridanus, and prized so highly by the ancients, that it was scarcely less costly than gold.-Moreover the king of the Ligurians in Upper Italy, who, from sympathy in the fate of Phaethon, was come to the Eridanus, is changed into a swan. Phaethon is a mythic figure from the Oriental fire- or sunworship, and his origin is very variously represented. In some parts of Greece he was worshipt as a deity. The adornment of the fable, as Ovid gives it us, appears to have the purpose of explaining geognostic phenomena by a legend, and manifestly belongs to a later age. Hinc Epaphus magni genitus de semine tandem Creditur esse Jovis, perque urbes juncta parenti Templa tenet. Fuit huic animis æqualis et annis 750 Sole satus Phaethon; quem quondam magna loquen tem, 5 Nec sibi cedentem Phœboque parente superbum, Non tulit Inachides, "Matrique," ait, "omnia demens Credis, et es tumidus genitoris imagine falsi." Erubuit Phaethon, iramque pudore repressit, 755 Et tulit ad Clymenen Epaphi convicia matrem ; 10 "Quoque magis doleas, genitrix," ait: "ille ego liber, Ille ferox tacui. Pudet hæc opprobria nobis Et dici potuisse, et non potuisse refelli. At tu, si modo sum cœlesti stirpe creatus, Ede notam tanti generis, meque assere cœlo." Dixit, et implicuit materno brachia collo, Perque suum Meropisque caput tædasque sororum, Traderet, oravit, veri sibi signa parentis. 15 66 760 764 Ambiguum, Clymene precibus Phaethontis an ira Mota magis dicti sibi criminis : utraque cœlo 20 Brachia porrexit, spectansque ad lumina Solis, Per jubar hoc," inquit, “radiis insigne coruscis, Nate, tibi juro, quod nos auditque videtque, Hoc te, quem spectas, hoc te, qui temperat orbem, Sole satum. Si ficta loquor, neget ipse videndum 25 Se mihi, sitque oculis lux ista novissima nostris. 769 776 Nec longus patrios labor est tibi nosse penates: Unde oritur, domus est terræ contermina nostræ : Si modo fert animus; gradere, et scitabere ab ipso." Emicat extemplo lætus post talia matris 30 Dicta suæ Phaethon, et concipit æthera mente, Æthiopasque suos positosque sub ignibus Indos Sidereis transit, patriosque adit impiger ortus. 1 (2) Regia Solis erat sublimibus alta columnis, Clara micante auro flammasque imitante pyropo, 35 Cujus ebur nitidum fastigia summa tenebat; Argenti bifores radiabant lumine valvæ. Materiem superabat opus: nam Mulciber illic Equora cælarat medias cingentia terras, Terrarumque orbem, cœlumque quod imminet orbi. 40 Cæruleos habet unda deos, Tritona canorum, Proteaque ambiguum balænarumque prementem Ægæona suis immania terga lacertis, Doridaque et natas, quarum pars nare videntur, Nec diversa tamen : qualem decet esse sororum. 10 15 Fluminaque et nymphas et cetera numina ruris. Hæc super imposita est cœli fulgentis imago, 50 Signaque sex foribus dextris totidemque sinistris. Quo simul acclivo Clymeneïa limite proles Venit, et intravit dubitati tecta parentis; Protinus ad patrios sua fert vestigia vultus, Consistitque procul: neque enim propiora ferebat 55 Lumina. Purpurea velatus veste sedebat In solio Phoebus claris lucente zmaragdis. A dextra lævaque Dies et Mensis et Annus Sæculaque et positæ spatiis æqualibus Horæ, Verque novum stabat cinctum florente corona; 60 Stabat nuda Estas et spicea serta gerebat; Stabat et Autumnus calcatis sordidus uvis, Et glacialis Hiems, canos hirsuta capillos. Inde loco medius rerum novitate paventem Sol oculis juvenem, quibus adspicit omnia, vidit, Quæque viæ tibi causa? quid hac," ait, arce petisti, 65 Progenies, Phaethon, haud infitianda parenti?" Ille refert, "O lux immensi publica mundi, 75 Dignus es, et Clymene veros," ait, Vix bene desierat; currus rogat ille paternos, 80 Inque diem alipedum jus et moderamen equorum. Poenituit jurasse patrem, qui terque quaterque Concutiens illustre caput, "Temeraria," dixit, "Vox mea facta tua est. Utinam promissa liceret Non dare! Confiteor, solum hoc tibi, nate, negarem. 85 Dissuadere licet. Non est tua tuta voluntas. Magna petis, Phaethon, et quæ nec viribus istis Munera conveniunt nec tam puerilibus annis. 20 25 30 35 41 45 50 55 Sors tua mortalis: non est mortale, quod optas. Plus etiam, quam quod Superis contingere fas est, 90 Nescius affectas. Placeat sibi quisque licebit : Non tamen ignifero quisquam consistere in axe Me valet excepto. Vasti quoque rector Olympi, 60 Qui fera terribili jaculatur fulmina dextra, Non agat hos currus: et quid Jove majus habemus ? 95 Ardua prima via est et qua vix mane recentes Enituntur equi; medio est altissima cœlo: Unde mare et terras ipsi mihi sæpe videre Fit timor, et pavida trepidat formidine pectus. Ultima prona via est, et eget moderamine certo. 100 Tunc etiam, quæ me subjectis excipit undis, Ne ferar in præceps, Tethys solet ipsa vereri. Adde quod assidua rapitur vertigine cœlum, Sideraque alta trahit celerique volumine torquet. Nitor in adversum, nec me, qui cetera, vincit 105 Impetus, et rapido contrarius evehor orbi. 65 70 75 Finge datos currus. Quid ages? Poterisne rotatis 80 110 Esse. Per insidias iter est formasque ferarum. Utque viam teneas nulloque errore traharis : Per tamen adversi gradieris cornua Tauri, Hæmoniosque arcus, violentique ora Leonis, Sævaque circuitu curvantem brachia longo 115 Scorpion, atque aliter curvantem brachia Cancrum. Nec tibi quadrupedes animosos ignibus illis, Quos in pectore habent, quos ore et naribus efflant, In promtu regere est: vix me patiuntur, ubi acres Incaluere animi, cervixque repugnat habenis. 120 At tu, funesti ne sim tibi muneris auctor, 84 90 Nate, cave, dum resque sinit, tua corrige vota. Scilicet, ut nostro genitum te sanguine credas, Pignora certa petis: do pignora certa timendo, Et patrio pater esse metu probor: adspice vultus 125 Ecce meos, utinamque oculos in pectora posses Inserere et patrias intus deprendere curas! Denique quicquid habet dives, circumspice, mundus, Eque tot ac tantis cœli terræque marisque D 96 135 105 Posce bonis aliquid: nullam patiere repulsam. 130 Deprecor hoc unum, quod vero nomine pœna, Non honorest. Pœnam, Phaethon, pro munere poscis. Quid mea colla tenes blandis, ignare, lacertis ? 100 Ne dubita: dabitur-Stygias juravimus undas Quodcumque optaris; sed tu sapientius opta." Finierat monitus; dictis tamen ille repugnat, Propositumque premit flagratque cupidine currus. Ergo, qua licuit, genitor cunctatus, ad altos Deducit juvenem, Vulcania munera, currus. Aureus axis erat, temo aureus, aurea summæ 140 Curvatura rotæ, radiorum argenteus ordo ; Per juga chrysolithi positæque ex ordine gemmæ Clara repercusso reddebant lumina Phœbo. Dumque ea magnanimus Phaethon miratur opusque Perspicit; ecce vigil rutilo patefecit ab ortu 145 Purpureas Aurora fores et plena rosarum Atria. Diffugiunt stellæ, quarum agmina cogit Lucifer, et cœli statione novissimus exit. 110 115 At pater, ut terras mundumque rubescere vidit, Cornuaque extremæ velut evanescere Lunæ, 150 Jungere equos Titan velocibus imperat Horis. Jussa deæ celeres peragunt, ignemque vomentes, Ambrosiæ suco saturos, præsepibus altis Quadrupedes ducunt, adduntque sonantia frena. Tum pater ora sui sacro medicamine nati 155 Contigit et rapidæ fecit patientia flammæ, Imposuitque comæ radios, præsagaque luctus Pectore sollicito repetens suspiria dixit: 120 125 Si potes his saltem monitis parere parentis: Parce, puer, stimulis, et fortius utere loris: 160 Sponte sua properant; labor est inhibere volentes. Nec tibi directos placeat via quinque per arcus. Sectus in obliquum est lato curvamine limes, Zonarumque trium contentus fine polumque Effugit australem junctamque aquilonibus Arcton: 130 165 Hac sit iter; manifesta rotæ vestigia cernes. 136 |